RT: Most retweeted lines from U.S. senators

Retweets are how people on Twitter give someone a high five. Here are some of the most retweeted lines from U.S. senators, according to TwitSprout.

Storified by Digital First Media · Mon, Oct 29 2012 08:26:13

Retweets are how people on Twitter give someone a high five. Here are some of the most retweeted lines from U.S. senators, according to TwitSprout.

1. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass): 14,287 retweets

Mitt apparently had no binders on foreign policyJohn Kerry

Kerry picked up a lot of Twitter followers during his 2004 presidential run, he advised President Obama during the debates and he’s chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, so when he made fun of Mitt Romney’s performance in the third presidential debate, it got some traction.

2. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.): 3,889 retweets

As a woman & former prosecutor who handled 100s of rape cases,I’m stunned by Rep Akin’s comments about victims this AM http://bit.ly/NahiHzClaire McCaskill

McCaskill is locked in a tough re-election campaign, but she got some help when her Republican opponent said in a TV interview that victims of “legitimate rape” don’t get pregnant. McCaskill’s retort drew attention.

3. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.): 3,162 retweets

As the 2008 Republican presidential candidate and a war hero who was tortured in a Vietnamese prison, McCain’s reaction to Rep. Michele Bachmann and other candidates saying waterboarding is not torture carried weight.

4. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.): 3,038 retweets

No matter how you feel about @BarackObama personally, this election is about your future, not his. #RomneyRyan2012 #AmericanMiracleMarco Rubio

A rising star in the Republican Party, Rubio was on the short list of vice presidential picks for Romney, so his positive statement about Obama got some attention.

5. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.): 2,897 retweets

Born and Bred in Brooklyn, U.S.A., they call him Adam Yauch, but he’s M.C.A. RIP Adam. #beastieboys #nosleeptillbrooklynChuck Schumer

When rapper Adam Yauch died, Schumer no doubt relied on younger staffers to help him find an appropriate lyric to tweet in memory.

6. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa): 1,927 retweets

Fred and I hit a deer on hiway 136 south of Dyersville. After I pulled fender rubbing on tire we continued to farm. Assume deer deadChuckGrassley

Grassley’s surreal tweets are beloved for their sheer goofiness. This recent tweet is one of many which were ironically retweeted.

7. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.): 1,399 retweets

92 yrs ago today, #women won the right to vote. Pls be sure to make your voice heard by voting in Nov! http://www.gottavote.org/ #offthesidelinesKirsten Gillibrand

Gillibrand skillfully combined two Twitter genres: the historical remembrance and the get-out-the-vote boosterism with this tweet linking to a website from the Obama campaign promoting voting.

8. Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.): 1,248 retweets

I’m going to vote NO on #PIPA and #SOPA. The Internet is too important to our economy.Scott Brown

Many senators’ most-retweeted lines came during the debate over the Protect IP Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act, two bills which Internet activists opposed. As a blue-state Republican, Brown’s views on the bill were closely watched.

9. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.): 1,198 retweets

Five months after I promised to repeal #DADT, I’m so happy to give back this West Point ring to @ltdanchoi http://twitpic.com/3igbomSenator Harry Reid

Gay rights activist Dan Choi gave Reid, the Senate majority leader, his West Point ring at a July 2010 gathering of liberal activists. Reid promised to return the ring when a law was signed repealing the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell restrictions on openly gay members of the military.

10. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.): 1,128 retweets

As a leading member of the tea party movement in the Senate, DeMint’s views on Romney have been closely watched. When he said that Romney had decisively won the first presidential debate in Denver, it got attention.